[andyffer]

My car doesnt need to polished but I would like to apply a light "coating".
Could I do this by hand? How would I?

So I...
-Wash it
-Dry it
-Clay it
-Polish by hand?
-Then spray that off? Or microfiber rub that?
-Apply wax
-microfiber that

This is my first time trying to polish and wax my car. (incase you didnt notice)

[SpecC]

your steps are correct

i might just skip the polish by hand though. it makes a minimal difference and is pretty pointless imo

[purplewidow]

polishing by hand is near useless it would take a week to polish a car by hand the way you describe.. it's ok for removing wax and so on but to polish it to a mirror shine..forget it!!!

[andyffer]

whats the cheapest orbital rotator thing i can buy?
Maybe at Autozone or Checker?

[SpecC]

honestly i'd say you get what you pay for

PC - decent for the weekend detailer
Flex - one step up and very very nice from what i've seen

[HPIA4v2]

Originally Posted by andyffer

whats the cheapest orbital rotator thing i can buy?
Maybe at Autozone or Checker?

Andy,
before we gets to which buffer/polisher to buy, you need to go over "what are you trying to do".

If you have pretty bad swirl marks that couple coats of sealant/wax can't hide (at least make it less noticeable) then yes you need a machine to get rid of them.
BTW, if you have the time and want to spend it on something, I'll recommend Flex 3401. It's more powerful than Porter-Cable and still safe for beginner (I have one and I am a beginner).

From your post, I'll say stick with wash/clay/pre-wax cleanse (Zymol HD cleanse or Meguiars version)/Wax or sealant for now. That's what I did for a long while and getting more
I hate to recommend people spending $400-500 on tools/chemicals then they found out they have no time. It takes alot of time for me to do this and the little lady sometimes complaints, I'll imagine that will be the case for everyonelses.

In any rate welcome to the club, yes we are a little nuts like those Star-trek fans.

[J-Sud]

Originally Posted by SpecC

honestly i'd say you get what you pay for

PC - decent for the weekend detailer
Flex - one step up and very very nice from what i've seen

+1 any other orbital wont be worth it

[andyffer]

I probably wont polish it this time. Ill buy a orbital and then do it in a few months.

So I'll skip the polish step.
Do i need to tape anything off while I'm doing this? To prevent the clay from hitting it or the wax? Or is the taping just for when a person polishes?

[andyffer]

Let me reword this...
Do I need to tape anything off when I clay or wax?

I will be skipping the polish step.

[BK]

Originally Posted by andyffer

Let me reword this...
Do I need to tape anything off when I clay or wax?

I will be skipping the polish step.

No tape. Have fun, your car will look and feel great after a good clay and wax!

[TRICKE90]

Dude, don't go cheap on an orbital or any kind of machine, get the best you can afford (you'll thank me later.)

[haper]

Originally Posted by andyffer

I probably wont polish it this time. Ill buy a orbital and then do it in a few months.

as someone else mentioned, you need to think about what you want to accomplish. many of us on this forum are looking for as close to perfection as possible, so we get a PC, Flex or even a rotary, the pads, polishes, etc. but many ppl aren't as 'obsessive' as others, and a simple hand polish using an over the counter polish gives acceptable results.

if you think your in the latter group, then purchase a good OTC polish and give it a chance. run a test on a small 12 x 12 section on the trunk and check out the results. you'll have a better idea if you want to invest in the full scale PC / Flexx, pads, etc.